Friends and colleagues,
I am deeply saddened to inform you about the passing of Elliott Schulman, MD this past Monday, September 11. Dr. Schulman was a member of the Lankenau/Main Line Health medical staff since November 2005. He received his medical degree from the State University of New York 1974 and then completed a 1-year medical internship at Montefiore Hospital in Pittsburgh, followed by a residency in neurology at Georgetown University. He went on to a fellowship in clinical epilepsy at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda Maryland. In 1979 Dr. Schulman came to Philadelphia and joined the medical staff at Temple University and later expanded his clinical work to include Chestnut Hill and Germantown Hospitals. In 1984, he founded and became the codirector of the Comprehensive Headache Center at Germantown Hospital, the first visible step heralding a lifelong interest and expertise in the care of this unique set of underserved patients. In 1996, he became the director of the Center for Headache Management at Crozier Chester Medical Center and in 2005 he came to Lankenau Hospital where he continued to practice both general neurology and headache management as a key member of our medical staff. In 2006 he became one of the first fifty physicians to achieve subspecialty certification in Headache Medicine.
Dr. Schulman was incredibly dedicated to his patients who in turn adored him. He saw them as people not symptoms or a disease and they saw him as a Mensch. In response to their frequent thanks and praise Elliott could frequently be heard to quietly say “I am just doing my job”, a job and career he passionately loved.
Over 3 years ago, Elliott was diagnosed with cancer which he fought with grace and determination while continuing to still care for his patients. He shared his cancer journey publicly and published a book about his experience: Seeing the Light While Living with Cancer: How Adversity Can Teach Us to Live a Meaningful Life. In May 2022, he spoke about his experiences as a cancer patient in a very powerful and moving grand rounds at Lankenau Medical Center with the same title.
Many of us knew Elliott as a friend, colleague, patient or our own physician. He was smart, consistently kind, compassionate and completely dedicated in each of those roles. He will be deeply missed by those that that he cared for and those that knew and loved him. A memorial service will be held on Monday September 18th. View Dr. Schulman’s Obituary here.
“One page, one tear, one affirmation and one day at a time” Elliott Schulman
Lawrence L. Livornese Jr. MD FACP, FIDSA
Chairman, Department of Medicine, Main Line Health System